game_design_snacksfandomcom-20200213-history
Violence is not the only way!!! Letting player take the pacifist route
Hundreds of brutal violent games expect their player to kill npcs, blow them up, punch them till they bleed to death, etc. At the end of every level only the number of enemies you killed matters. But some games, even the most brutal ones allow there players to take the pacifist route and not kill a single npc. Players can complete the whole game without having to raise their sword or point their gun at someone. I think this is a good and a smart design and attracts a whole new bunch of audience for example the people who don't like killing or bloodshed and also the players who like to be as sneaky as possible when they play. Also it promotes replayability, as the existing players of the game can complete the game in a non-violent way. These games even give extra points for not killing anyone and not being seen by anyone when player completes the level in a nonviolent and a sneaky way. Example: Thief Thief is one of those games where you can complete the whole game without claiming a life. The protagonist Garrett is a thief, not a cold-blooded killer. The player gets awarded with a "Ghost rank" for being non violent and sneaky. Even the bosses have non-lethal options, allowing you to sneak out of a battle instead of fighting to the bitter end. Dishonored Dishonored offers the player multiple ways of completing scenes, both violent and stealthy as well as a hybrid strategy. The stealth gameplay can often be more rewarding and challenging, but both playstyles create unique experiences. Which one is more enjoyable is up to the player, but having the choice to be nonviolent is certainly a highlight of the game and, as the snack notes, creates replayability in the game. Splinter Cell It is a stealth game, but players also have the choice to go guns blazing. It will, of course, be easier to kill everyone, but more skilled and experienced players will always have the option to just knock out the enemies, or even completely avoid them by carefully planning the movement. Players will always be able to choose their own path. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines Surprisingly VTM Bloodlines fits into this category. You can play through as a vicious vampire, killing everything that moves, but you will miss out on a lot of experience points, and a more interesting play style. The game rewards you for completing nearly all of the main quests through non-violent means, often giving you nearly double the experience points, and as XP is pretty hard to come by in the game it’s definitely worth it to be a pacifist. In a couple of quests, you are actually punished if you kill anyone. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Metal Gear Solid 4 is another game that lets player not kill a single opponent in the game even boss characters. Players are given a large amount of lethal weapons in the game but they are also given a lot of different weapons that will just knock out enemies. Playing non-lethal in the game can be a much more difficult and complicated experience as enemies can be harder to take down non-lethally and can even wake up after you knock them out. One of the coolest things in the game is the rewards the player gets for playing non-lethally. One of the rewards the players can get is a mask that will make all enemies freak out and run from the payer in terror.